


Recovery

by StoryLady35



Series: Feathers Series [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Follow on to other story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2018-12-30 14:39:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12110922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryLady35/pseuds/StoryLady35
Summary: After everything that happened to her, Annamarie finds herself in need of help. She can't be the miraculous she was, not now. She needs time and help to heal. Adrian's mother has agreed to take her to Tibet to the temple of the Miraculous, in hopes there will be some solution that will help the young peacock. (Sub-Sequel to Turning a Feather)





	1. Arrive

**Author's Note:**

> Written by Storylady35
> 
> Co-Written by BlueWolf4444
> 
> Inspired and in Memory of loveHinaSasu

Sophia sighed with both relief and frustration as the two finally left the airport. "I forgot how much hassle the Chinese border control was." She explained and stretched her back.

At her side, Annamarie ran a hand back in her hair, pushing back any stray strands that had fallen free in the flight. "It was… long."

"But anyway, we really should get going, we still have a long way to go." She chuckled, shifting her backpack on her shoulder before noticing the defeated look in her companion's eyes. "Annamarie?"

"Sorry." She moaned, rubbing her forehead. "It was a long flight and… I didn't get much sleep."

Looking at her for a bit longer, Sophia sighed and turned away. "Perhaps we should find a hotel, rest up for tonight here and then move on in the morning."

"How far is it from here to the temple?"

"About two more days."

Wishing it wasn't so far, Annamarie shook her head. "Then… let's keep moving. I'll be alright. I want to get there as soon as we can."

The blonde stared at her for a moment, judging her condition then began to walk. "Come on, we need to get a bus to the out reaches." She explained, heading off to a large building.

Annamarie sighed, shifted her bag on her back and began to move as well, following on behind. She always loved travelling normally but right now, with her head filled with whispers, she just wanted to get somewhere safe.

She soon discovered that speaking Chinese was a family tradition for the Agrestes as Sophia spoke fluently to a man who nodded and handed her two tickets.

The 'bus' was more of an old truck that had been converted to have a few extra seats in the back and was rammed full of people. Fortunately Sophia managed to get a seat for them both by handing over a few notes and a million dollar smile that convinced a couple of men give up their spots for them.

They sat and Annamarie gazed out the window at the world outside as it began to move, the people and city hurrying around soon gave way to green grass and farms as it covered the mountains around them. She sighed and forced her eyes to focus on the glass, looking at her own reflection.

It was her own for a second but then…

She instantly looked away and covered her face with her hands, trying to block it out but it didn't work and suddenly it felt like the whole world was crushing down on her, squeezing her life away.

Beside her, Sophia spotted her painful expression and turned quickly to her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Annamarie?"

Gripping her head tighter, the teen let out a gasp then sat up, her face pale and eyes wide but on seeing the concern in her elder's eyes and that of a few passengers around her, she turned back to the window. "I'm fine." She lied.

"No, you're not. What happened?"

Her eyes lowered once more. "I… I hear it… in my head."

"Hawk Moth?"

She paused, not looking at her then slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"Has this happened before? When you are… you?"

She hesitated but then nodded again. "At first… it was just background noise, whispers I could ignore. But… it's gradually getting worse. Now… it feels like it is taking control of me again. Just now… I couldn't feel my legs."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have helped."

"How?" She whimpered, eyes lost to the floor in defeat. "How can you help me?"

"I would have found a way." Sophia looked at her with a sad pity in her eyes. "Look, we will be able to get you help soon. Just, try and get some sleep. We're going to be on this bus for a while."

Nodding, Annamarie leant against the window and closed her eyes, trying to sleep but all she heard were the whispers she tried so hard to ignore.

When she next opened her eyes, it was dark outside and she was blinking away tears and sleep. Beside her Sophia was sleeping soundly, as was most of the truck-turned-bus as it continued into the night. Annamarie appeared to be the only person still awake and she didn't want to get back to sleep so reached down to her bag between her knees, pulling the book she'd been given a few hours ago, even if it felt like days. Over the 15 hour flight she had read and reread each of the good luck messages, practically memorising every word and stared at each picture until her eyes hurt. The messages were all so heartfelt and warm that just holding the book gave her a slight freedom from her suffering.

Opening the front, she gazed at the first page and at the message that was before her. It was her favourite message, the one from Marinette.

_Dear Annamarie,_

_Odd, don't you think, that a few months ago, I would be jumping to the moon with joy to hear you were leaving._

_And now I can't help but feel like I'm losing part of myself._

_In such a short time you have become such an important and large part of my life, a friend as dear to me as any other._

_I don't know what's going on but I wish we could be with you, to support you in what you are going through._

_But since we can't, just know you are in our thoughts always and we will miss you._

_Come home soon and take care of yourself._

_Your friend._

_Marinette x_

Annamarie ran her fingers over the ink and paper and sighed. They would be thinking of her and she would never stop thinking about them. She couldn't wait until she recovered and could return to them but who knew how long that would take.

A pot hole in the road rocked the whole bus sharply and shook anybody that wasn't in a catatonic sleep back into full awareness, Sophia among them as she sat up and looked around blindly. "Ah? Wha? We there yet?" She mumbled then collapsed back into her seat.

The teen tried to smile but just hugged the book closer to her chest while the elder sank back to sleep. The rest of the ride was silent but just as the sun began to make its mark in the sky, the bus stopped in a large town and everyone climbed off.

Sophia stretched out and rolled her neck. "Right, let's get walking. Still a long way to go."

With a nod, the other began to follow. She'd long abandoned her normal appearance of a dress and pumps and instead went with a pair of blue jeans and a green short sleeve shirt and a hiking jacket with matching boots. They went on in silence, only the odd 'watch your step' or 'careful' being said as they went. They were needed words of warning; the path wasn't smooth in any shape and clearly was made only for hooves and feet, no car could ever make it up this path. Around noon they came across a couple of huts, barely enough to be called a village and they stopped and paid for a meal.

Annamarie tried, the walk had left her exhausted but she couldn't stomach whatever the woman gave them and ended up looking apologetically at the woman whose food she had just thrown back up. She didn't appear too insulted, more concerned, coming over with a pot of tea that she was able to keep down and after a few hours of rest, they were ready to go onwards.

Just as the sky grew dark, there was another settlement up ahead, different to the last; a far older and more established place, well lit by lanterns as they approached. Sophia stopped in an open square and pointed up the mountain they appeared to have been circling. "Look, there, you can just about see it." She explained.

Annamarie looked and saw a white building sticking out of the mountain sides, little glowing lights showing there was life inside and a path leading all the way down to the village. "Well then, let's get moving."

She was yanked back by her bag's strap and turned to see Sophia shaking her head. "We won't make it before dark and you do not want to be on those steps at night. There is an inn over there. We will stay the night and head off at first light."

"Sophia I…"

"I know you want to get there but it's too dangerous. Come on, you need some sleep."

Knowing she wouldn't get any even if she tried, Annamarie just went with her. They were shown to a small room with beds as hard as rocks and covers so thin and itchy it was as if they were made of stinging nettles but Sophia fell asleep without a second's hesitation.

The teen rolled her eyes as she looked at Froufrou who had spent most of the walk in her bag. "Swear she can fall asleep at the drop of a hat."

"Always could." The little kwami chuckled.

Annamarie sighed and hugged her knees. "Have… you been to this temple before Frou?"

"Many times."

"And… it will help me get better?"

"The masters will do all they can." He explained with a smile. "But for now, please, try and sleep. Trust me, those steps are a lot longer than they appear."

She nodded and lay back down, hugging her book and feeling Froufrou's gentle touch in hopes that it would banish the nightmares for just a little bit longer.

Slowly she fell into an exhausted sleep and she must have rested for a little but the nightmares attacked and she sat up, gasping for breath, panting as she gradually defined reality from the hallucinations. Beside her, Sophia sat up, a light from outside crossing her face. "Annamarie?" she asked, sadness in her voice.

Turning her head away and pressing a hand to her forehead, the teen sighed. "I'm alright. Go back to sleep."

"Maybe it will help if you talk about your dreams?"

"No. The… the less I think about it, the better."

"If you are sure?"

"I am."

"Well then, we might as well get up, the sun's almost up."

They washed, dressed and had a light breakfast before packing their belongings and began the long walk up the mountain. Sophia had been right about it not being safe, the steps were crumbled and uneven, some bigger than they could climb without using a tree or rope that had been left behind and in one spot, the path vanished completely to reveal a sheer drop below and a thick plank of wood had been left to create a makeshift bridge.

It was exhausting and her legs ached as they continued. Frou hadn't been lying, if it wasn't for the village below getting smaller, Annamarie would have thought they weren't getting any higher.

The sun was above them when they finally made it to the top; a tall white stone wall, decorated with gold and blue designs stood before them, a pair of black wood doors in the middle. Sophia stepped up and took hold of a golden knocker, letting it fall and echo loudly.

A few seconds later, it opened inwards and a young boy with dark blue eyes and a shaven head stood before them, dressed in a red and gold robe like the kind a monk would wear, bowing to them as he spoke. "Master Dawa and Master Niji are waiting for you. Please, follow me." His English was perfect as he turned to lead them the way.

The two walked past the gateway, Sophia putting her bag on the side and Annamarie following suit, looking around as she did. The wall on the outside continued all around them, creating a boxed in courtyard with a large grassy area with several trees and flowers growing around it, people were walking around, all of them dressed in robes like the boy, either red and gold or blue and silver and they varied in age. The youngest was about ten while the oldest was beyond Annemarie's guessing ability. They walked so easily around them, not paying the outsiders any attention as they travelled around in pairs and talked or sat alone on the floor under a tree.

Sophia was already walking and Annamarie hurried to follow, trailing the boy as he led them across the garden towards a great building on the other side of it, four floors high and shaped so that it got a little narrower with each level. The stone was white and decorated with red slate, bright colourful red and gold bands painted onto the wall.

Instead of going inside, as she had expected to, they were led around this building to reveal a smaller one, only one level but no less beautiful with a door that was split half and half, one side gold, the other blue.

The boy turned and bowed to them again. "Please, go inside."

"Thank you." Sophia said, bowing back before turning to the door just as she heard a sharp painful gasp. "Annamarie?" She turned and saw the girl was on the ground, kneeling, holding her head and screwing her eyes shut, her whole body shaking. It took Sophia a moment to notice that she wasn't actually breathing either.

Eyes wide, she knelt and grabbed her shoulders. "Annamarie! Annamarie, breathe! Come on, breathe! You can fight him. Please, we're so close! Just concentrate on the sound of my voice, block him out! You can do it. Don't let him win!

It didn't work and Annamarie fell forwards, her body caving from exhaustion, hunger and pain, Sophia's voice too far away to be heard over her own internal screams and fight against the darkness in her head.

__You are mine! I will never let you go!_

_No…_

_You have no choice. You will give in to me! Or I will kill you!_

_You will not.__ Came another voice in her head, stronger than the other one. __You will leave this child alone. NOW!__

The voice spoke so powerfully she could almost feel the other backing away and a golden warm light washed over her body and mind before flooding her eyes, allowing them to open sharply, taking in a deep breath.

Panting to get herself back to normality, she looked around, first noticing that she had moved and second that there were two unknown adults knelt beside her. One was a man, his hair jet black and long, tied up above his head by some kind of ribbon, wearing a gold and black robe.

The other was a woman, pale skinned, with long blonde hair, in an elegant similar blue and silver outfit, her hair pinned back and curled. She smiled at Annamarie. "Be still child, you are very weak." She said in a soft whisper of a voice.

The last person was Sophia who had a relieved look on her face while Froufrou sat on her shoulder. "Annamarie?"

She realised she was lying on her back and slowly tried to sit up, her body feeling like lead but she managed. She was in a large room, on a bed of pillows while around her were tables covered with books and scrolls as well as candles to light the place.

It was the walls however that caught Annamarie's attention, looking at the wood carvings.

They were of one continuous curving pattern, one she knew from the box her miraculous had come from and along the pattern, every now and then, there was an animal, carved and then meticulously painted to a near life like style. They were all looking in one direction, as if walking across the wall towards a large carving that took up a whole wall at the very back of the room, a table of candles before it.

It was a rounded design, made up of five different panels with a perfect white crystal at the centre. To the top right hand side, one was a black and yellow striped one with a yellow centre, to the right of that one was a green and emerald panel. To the left of the striped one was an orange and white panel, the white only taking up the top half and to the left of that was a purple and silver design. At the bottom, in the middle, was a blue and green panel with a yellow centre and in the very middle, surrounding the crystal, were four red petals interchanging with four green petals stood on the right.

Looking at it, Annamarie felt oddly drawn in. "The miraculous." She said to herself.

The man nodded. "You have a good eye. Yes, that is the Seal of the Miraculous."

"Who… who are you?" The teen asked as she shifted to Sophia's side, holding her hand tight as she did.

The man in gold bowed his head. "I am Master Niji. This is my wife, Master Dawa. We are the masters and keepers of the Miraculous Temple."

She blinked, listening to him and his voice. "You… you're the one who saved me!"

"Yes." Niji said with a smile, his voice bold but still soothing. "Although I fear I have only deterred whatever that was for a while. I doubt it will stay away for long and will attempt to take control of you again."

Fear filled the teen as she lowered her head while Sophia rubbed her back comfortingly. "He has tried before but they have never been that bad. To stop her breathing."

"Which is why, until you have recovered, we must insist you hand over the peacock miraculous."

Looking up suddenly and touching her hair slide, Annamarie's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Whatever that force was, it was trying to take control of your body. If it had succeeded, as it almost did today, it could have easily gained the power of the miraculous you wear. It is for the safety of all those here that until we know what is going on with you and until we find a way to stop it, that you do not have access to that kind of power."

Thinking about it, the teen let out a defeated sigh then reached up to her hair and slid the precious stones from her locks, holding them tight in her hand while Dawa reached to the side and lifted up a small box just like the one the miraculous had originally been passed onto her in, but this one was white.

As Annamarie reached out to place it inside, she glanced at the little blue bird as he hovered near by and withdrew for a moment. "What will happen to Froufrou?"

"He will be fine. The bond between you two will not be broken." Niji explained.

With a comforting smile to her kwami, Annamarie placed her hair slide in the box and watched as it closed, her friend slowly fading away into nothing. Once he was gone, Dawa slowly but elegantly stood up, holding the box. "I will ensure it is kept somewhere safe." She said before leaving the room via a door on the other side.

Once she was gone, Niji let out a breath and nodded. "Now, for you Annamarie. While you were unconscious, I spoke with Sophia and I hate to say it but your condition may be far more serious than she or I first thought. As we witnessed today, something has control over you and can use that control to hurt you."

Ashamed, Annamarie lowered her eyes. "Can… can you stop it?"

"I don't know. Your condition is unique. I have never seen this before and I will have to go to the library and investigate. But I am confident we will find a solution. For now, I wish for you to sleep and rest. Come, I will show you to your room."

Feeling a little faint that her 'easy to cure' condition wasn't so easy, Annamarie managed to get to her feet and followed him past the doors she had collapsed outside, down a defined path to the other building. "Here at the temple we have many acolytes, people who wish to learn the secrets of the miraculous. They live, work and eat in here, this ground level being our dining room, the infirmary and the acolytes bedchambers while below us is the great library. Everything there is to know about the history, powers and chosen of the miraculous, as well as many other secrets of the world, are kept within those walls and I am sure we will find a cure in their writings." Niji explained before heading to a flight of stairs, going to the next level.

The temple became a little fancier on the second level, the walls a sky blue and bright with open windows. "This area is used for meditation and relaxation."

Annamarie barely noticed the area but she did hear water flowing but it soon stopped when she moved to the next level. This one was far darker than the ones below, no open windows to light it, just lamps hanging from the roof to show seven doors, each one identical in size but styled and decorated around the animals of the miraculous.

The golden dressed man led the way to the one of the peacock and pushed it open. "As long as you stay in the temple, this shall be your room."

Annamarie walked past him into the room and felt her eyes widen; it was a reasonably sized room with a large clean bed practically on the floor, surrounded by a pale blue net curtain. On another side was a short table that was also almost at ground level with a collection of pillows to sit or lounge on around it, a chest and desk on one side as well as a dividing screen that was next to a large mirror with a golden frame that filled a space basically from ceiling to floor and drew the eye instantly. The window on the far side overlooked the courtyard and entrance to the temple below and had several slats to cover it to block out the light or weather but no glass.

The whole place was filled with peacock motifs, the walls being nothing but long connecting images of peacocks in various poses, the gold of the eyes of their tails glittering brightly in the lamp lights that surrounded the room. The air smelt sweet and calming as Annamarie brushed her hand over the walls, amazed at the beauty around her. "This… is mine?"

"Yes. It is here for the peacock's chosen. Everything in this room… is yours. There are clothes in the chest and that door leads to a washroom. You can do as you please with everything in here."

"I see." Annamarie whispered as she ran her fingers over the bed sheets. They were soft, silken, dark peacock blue with white pillows.

"The temple is your home for as long as you stay here. You may go where you please and do as you wish. You may leave anytime you want, to go to the village or to leave altogether. If you need anything, ask the acolytes and they will help you. You will find them skilled in English and French as well as many other languages." Niji continued as she explored the room. "Normally we eat in the great hall, downstairs. But for tonight, if you wish, I will have some food brought up to you."

She gulped suddenly and turned to face him in the doorway. "I… I'm not very hungry sir."

He gave her a knowing smile. "Sophia has already told me that you are unable to stomach solid food but you need to try. I can tell your body is failing you. I will have a light soup prepared and some medicine to help you sleep." He spoke softly, clearly sympathising with her. "We will do all we can to ensure your comfort and recovery Annamarie."

With a polite nod, the teen let out a sigh. "Thank you… sir."

"We will talk more in the morning. For now, rest." He turned to close the door, Sophia moving with him.

"Wait!" Annamarie yelped suddenly. "Where… where are you going Sophia?"

The woman smiled. "There is a room for past miraculous holders on the ground level. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

"But… can't you stay with me?" She begged, looking at Niji as she moved over.

The master shook his head. "That is one of the few rules we have here. Only you and your kwami companion are allowed to sleep in this room. I am sorry."

"Don't worry, you'll see me in the morning." Sophia cooed, reaching out and brushing some hair back over the teen's ear. "Try and rest, alright?"

With that, they closed the door on her and left her alone in the beautiful, elegant room, allowing her to explore all the chests with its clothes and the washroom with a large tub in it. She wondered how they got the hot water and plumbing to work but as she left it behind, she found her bag had been brought up and spared a bit of time to unpack her belongings, taking extra care with her photos as she placed them on the table beside her bed.

After an hour, there was a knock at the door. "Umm…" she said, unsure what to say. "Come in?"

The door opened and a young girl in a blue and silver robe bowed as she held a tray in her hands. "Master Dawa asked me to bring you your meal." She said in near perfect English.

Annamarie swallowed as the smell drifted over to her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Peacock." She said with a smile as she placed it on the low table. "It is Master Dawa's personal recipe. I hope you like it. Do you require anything else?"

"Umm, Master Niji mentioned something about medicine?"

"Yes but that is still being prepared. It will be brought to you later."

"Oh, then no, I'm fine."

"Enjoy your meal." The acolyte said with a smile and yet another bow as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Annamarie slowly made her way to the table and the bowl, looking down on a cloudy pale yellow coloured liquid, the smell of spices and herbs making her mouth water but she was careful as she took a spoonful. Warm and a little spicy but so good, settling in her stomach and remaining there.

She finished it in no time, her first semi solid meal in a week and it left her feeling tired so she drifted over to the bed, pulling back the curtains before changing into a nightdress and getting in. The sheets and bedding almost moulded themselves around her they were so soft and comfortable but as she tried to settle down, she began to replay her time as Feathers and wonder if that kind of darkness could ever be wiped away.

A soft knock at the door brought her back from the edge of her nightmares.

It was dark by then but a small dim lamp by her bed gave her some light. "Come in?"

The door opened yet again and a boy walked in, holding a tray with a broad smile on his lips. He hurried quickly over to her and held out the platter, a small white bowl on the top with a pale pink liquid inside, barely a mouthful.

She stared at it then at the boy, his eyes wide with joy. "I… guess this is Master Niji's medicine?"

He nodded several times, watching as she took the cup and shot it back. It had a sweet aftertaste that left a slight numbing feeling on her lips but just as she thought about it, she flopped back on the bed, eyes closed before she even hit the pillows.

The boy smile grew as he reached out and took the cup from her hand and then pulled the covers up over her body, brushing some hair off her face. Stepping back he pulled the bed's curtains around her and left the room, leaving Annamarie to sleep in peace.


	2. Awakening

Morning broke in Tibet and Annamarie slowly cracked open her eyes feeling oddly good. She sat up slowly, expecting a wave of nausea or jolts of pain at any moment but she didn't. She felt good for the first time in ages.

Her eyes drifted over the room around her before pulling back the curtains from her bed and got up, washing her face and changing, pulling her hair up into its normal bun and trying not to think about the unusual sensation of not having her miraculous. Just as she finished, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." She called, getting the idea that the people who lived at the temple were very polite.

It was the same boy who had come last night to see her and now she could see him properly. He had very long hair, almost touching the floor length and it was an abnormal pale sky blue, tired back at the nape of his neck with a band, dressed in a blue and gold robe. He couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 years old but he was abnormally cute with big golden brown eyes like her own.

"Can I help you?" She asked on realising he hadn't spoken.

He grinned then ran over to her, grabbing her hand before she could stop him. Her moment of feeling 'good' vanished the second her skin came in contact with his and she pulled away, feeling a fire burn up her arm and her whole arm begin to shake. She looked at the boy's hurt expression and quickly hid her hand behind her back. "P-please." She managed eventually. "D-Don't touch me."

He paused then nodded slower and beckoned her to follow him, heading out of her room and down to the ground level and into a large open room where five low tables were set up, four at the bottom while one at the very top of the room where Sophia, Master Dawa and Master Niji where knelt along with an empty cushion to Niji's right. She went over to them and bowed her head slightly, trying to ignore the feeling of everyone's eyes following her. "I… I'm sorry. Am I late?"

"Not at all." Dawa said with a smile. "We were just worried."

"Worried?" She asked, hiding her still shaking hand. "About… about what?"

"That you would get lost." Niji said, watching her carefully. "The temple can be quite confusing to navigate the first time."

"Oh."

Silence fell after that but was slowly filled with low conversations as everyone began to dig into the platters of food before them; plates of dried meat, fish and fruit along with rice and bread all presented like jewels before them.

Annamarie picked up her bowl with one hand and then took hold of a pair of blue wooden chopsticks, once more decorated with her animal. She reached out with them, trying to keep her hand steady but just as she got hold of some meat, her grip failed and they fell noisily to the table, the whole room stopping and looking at her.

The blood drained from her face as she turned to her right, where the masters were sat as they looked at her with pity and concern.

She gulped, heart in her ears and stood up as fast as she could, running out of the room without looking back, tears in her eyes. She ran to the courtyard and knelt behind a tree, hugging her knees and crying. One touch from that poor boy's hand and she had gone back to where she started, if not worse.

She cried for a while before hearing someone call her name and looked up to see the two masters and Sophia walking towards her. Master Dawa smiled calmly at her. "Annamarie, are you alright? What happened?"

The teen shifted away from her gaze. "I'm sorry. That boy… the one you sent to get me… he… he grabbed my hand and… it all started again."

"Hawk Moth? You can hear him again?"

"No." She whispered. "It's… worse."

Sophia frowned as the masters looked at her for an explanation she couldn't give. "Annamarie, what do you mean? You said you could only hear Hawk Moth."

"It's not him I hear. I never hear him. I hear… her."

"Her? Who's her?"

She froze and looked away. "Feathers." She whimpered, fighting back a cringe at the name. "Hawk Moth's control, his voice and whispers, I remember them but... they aren't what's trying to... take over. Feathers knows everything about me, all my secrets and past… she makes me remember what I did… twisting every good moment into a nightmare. A touch and it's like she… burns me… wanting to take over and… hurt… them."

Sophia knelt before her and stared at the child. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Because… she wants to hurt you the most." She confessed, sobbing between words. "But… I can't stand being on my own. I have… have to share this with someone… with you Sophia."

"Oh Annamarie."

Above them, the masters looked at each other before Niji brought himself up to full height. "Sophia." He said with a power in his voice. "I believe it would be best if you leave the temple."

"What?" The blonde gasped as she stood up. "With all respect master, Annamarie needs me. Didn't you just hear her?"

"I did. And that is why you need to leave." Dawa agreed. "You are her support, her… crutch if you will. She is becoming dependant on you and your help to get through this. But if she is to ever have a chance at recovering, she needs to do it alone."

"I won't interfere."

"Just being here is enough Sophia." The man in gold stated. "I'm sorry but if you wish for her to get better, you must return to your own lands and leave Annamarie with us. If I have to, I will order you away, for Annamarie's own good."

The older woman looked at the two then down at the girl on the floor. "I…"

"A convoy of acolytes are leaving in two days to go to the city for supplies." Dawa interrupted. "You can leave with them so they can be your escort. That shouldn't do any harm Niji, should it?"

Her husband thought about it then nodded. "Very well. You will leave with the acolytes in two days Sophia."

She let out a deep breath and bowed her head. "Yes master."

"Good. Annamarie, please, let us know if you feel different or if anything changes. I need to go to the library to read the texts. I fear this may change the situation."

"And I have my class with the students." Dawa said with a nod. "Sophia, why don't you show her around? I'm sure you remember where everything is from your time here."

"Yes Dawa, thank you. Come on Annamarie, I have something to show you."

As the two walked away, Dawa looked at her husband's concerned face. "What is it?"

"I had hoped the corruption was only between the Butterfly and Peacock. That would have been easy to cleanse. But it appears it runs much deeper."

"Deeper?"

"Feathers is not Hawk Moth. She was created by the Butterfly yes, but her form is Annamarie. In other words, it is not just the miraculous that was tainted… but the girl's soul as well."

The pale woman went even paler. "Can you… help her?"

"I don't know. But we must try… or her life will be in danger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Chapter 2 of Recovery is up! I hope you like it. I had a lot of good responce to the last one so lets see if you like this one just as much!


	3. Split

Sophia smiled as she showed the young girl around the outsides of the temple, around the back of the whole walled in area to a kitchen garden and beyond the wall to an open pasture where some sheep and goats were grazing.

"The temple tries to be self-reliant." She explained as they walked. "But some things have to be sent for, like fabric and anything metal. So, they have this."

As she spoke, they rounded the very rear of the temple garden to a space where a large long single level building was set up, just away from the mountains, the sound of neighing and whinnies showing just what it was.

"Come on." Sophia said with a laugh, already hurrying over.

Inside the stable, a few robed men and women were hard at work, cleaning stalls or tending to the horses and after they gave the new comers a formal bow, they went back to their tasks. There were at least 9 horses, each in their own stalls, each of them rough and rugged for the terrain around them. Sophia quickly walked up to the first door and smiled as a stallion moved towards her, letting her stroke his nuzzle. "This was my favourite place to come when I was staying here. Do you know how to ride Annamarie?"

"A… a little. I did it on holiday once."

"Well, as long as you are here, you can ride anytime you want."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." She confessed, keeping away. "I mean… in my state."

"That's precisely why you should." Sophia explained as she opened the door and stepped in with the horse, picking up a brush from the side. "There is something therapeutic in caring for an animal, to tend for it and help it." She said, holding out the brush. "Come on, give it a try."

Stepping in as well, Annamarie took the brush before slowly sweeping it over the animal's coat, half expecting it to jolt at her touch but it didn't and instead just stood there, allowing her to continue. She did for a bit and it did feel nice, watching the coat begin to shine. She worked for a bit in silence before looking at Sophia as she worked on the other side. "Why did you come here before Sophia?"

The blonde looked up, slightly startled by the question but then lowered her gaze. "After…" She began then paused. "After Hawk Moth worked out who I was… I ran as fast as I could away from him, knowing he would hunt me down. The peacock miraculous isn't the strongest and it isn't the one he wants but it would be a fine bargaining chip. Even more if he could catch it with a chosen."

She went back to brushing the coat. "Froufrou told me about this place and I came here in hopes of finding a way to stop him hunting me or a way to protect Adrian… or to defeat him." She slowed slightly. "I stayed only a few weeks but it soon became clear the answer I needed wasn’t here. So, I realised distance was my only hope. My plan was to stay just out of his reach and hopefully get him to chase me, get him away from Paris and Adrian. It worked, for a bit, I got him to follow me all the way to Calais but then he stopped. I lost track of him and he must have lost track of me as soon as I went into England." She let out a deep long sigh. "I decided that I would settle in England and wait, knowing he would return eventually."

"How long did you wait?"

"Four years."

"And you never went back? Never had any contact with Adrian?"

"It was for his own good." She said as she closed her eyes, as if trying to convince herself it was the truth.

The two went back into silence, the only sound being the horse as he grunted with pleasure at being groomed. Finally Sophia huffed loudly. "You know, sometimes I think being a chosen is a curse. I mean, I was forced to leave my home, my life, everyone I love… I had to go on the run, leaving my son and husband behind because I had to keep the peacock safe. And… and now you. Everything that happened to you… I mean… you could have _died_ Annamarie. Hawk Moth could have killed you. Even now… everything that has happened to you is because I gave you the miraculous." She looked quickly to the ground. "I was stupid, giving it to a teenager. I'm so sorry."

Annamarie's mouth dropped opened in amazement as she listened, quickly walking to her. "Sophia, it's not a curse! I mean… I… I don't know what would have happened to me if you haven't given me the hair slide. Yes, I wouldn't be in this… condition but I wouldn't be the person I am either. Being Peacock gave me the escape I needed and it made me realise who I am." Against her own fear, she grabbed the older woman's hands and held them tight, fighting back the burn. "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. Don’t you remember? The night we met, you _saved my life_. That is not a curse. It's a blessing."

Tears in her eyes, Sophia held the hand in hers back and managed to smile. "Annamarie…"

"Even now, even after everything that has happening to me, I am so glad you trusted me to become Peacock, Sophia. I would not have traded a second of this last year, even if I knew this was where it would lead me."

The other smiled at the honesty in her words and reached out for her face, brushing some hair away. "Oh Annamarie. You know, you're like the daughter I never had and I'm so proud of you. You've been so strong and brave. And… I wish I didn't have to leave you."

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't either." She confessed, releasing her hands and walking out of the stall. "But the masters are right, you can't rely on me forever. I will not go against their wishes."

Following, Annamarie sighed. "Where will you go?"

"Back to England probably. I have a business there and things to do. And it means I'll be far enough to keep everyone safe but close enough should you need me."

"And… what about me? What happens to me now?"

"The masters will look after you."

"And… what if I don't get better? What if I can't get over this? What… what if I never go home?"

"You will. Eventually." Sophia explained as they walked. "But you can't rush this. Take your time."

She sighed again and looked up at the sky. "I know. I just…" She trailed off, heading back up the path towards the temple without speaking.

After being shown around the whole temple, including the vast and impressive library underground, the two friends sat under a tree and talked until spotting Master Niji walking towards them. "Annamarie." He said with a nod.

She returned the gesture and swallowed. "Have you found something?"

"In a way, yes." He explained, kneeling on the ground beside her. "But it is not what you are hoping to hear."

"Please, just tell me."

He took a deep steady breath then looked her in the eye. "Annamarie, do you know about the threads of fate?"

"What?"

"It’s a belief that everything in the world is connected by threads; every action we do creates a bond between ourselves and those around us. Some of these strings are weak and vanish within moments of being made. Some are far stronger, like the bond between you and Sophia or between Chat Noir and Ladybug. You are bound together." His eyes hardened on hers and she noticed absently they were a dark brown almost red colour. "When you were akumatised, Hawk Moth made a very strong connection between the two of you, one that he would pull on to his own design. You fought against him, which is a skill in itself, one not many have the will and strength to do. But… that is where the problem of you condition is."

"He still have hold of the threads." Annamarie said, catching on.

"Yes. And no. You see, there was a bond but as soon as the Akuma was destroyed, it was cut."

Sophia stiffened. "So... she is free of him?"

"There is still a connection, one that will never be destroyed. A residual mark and energy that is burning inside you. The residual energy is part of your condition but with time it will be absorbed into the miraculous. But there is another, more concerning element that I am very worried about." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Annamarie, when Hawk Moth put that darkness inside you, you fought back. Darkness is a force, an energy that is uncontrollable and unable to be destroyed. You fighting only made it more determined to control you and did something… that will be difficult for you to hear."

"What? What did it do to me?"

Niji blinked slowly. "It split your soul in half."

The blood drained from her face as she heard the words. "What?"

"How is that possible?" Sophia whispered in as much shock as her successor.

"I do not know. But from what you said earlier today, about Feathers and the fight you are having, it would appear your soul has split, creating two beings in the same body, yourself and Feathers. The darkness could not control you so it divided you."

Heart pounding and her mouth feeling dry, Annamarie slowly gulped. "Can…can… can you do anything?"

Niji looked away from her to the ground. "Regretfully, I do not know right now. But I will do everything in my power to help you. We _will_ find a solution."

Hugging her own arms for comfort, the teenager fought back the nauseous sensation in her stomach. "And… if you can't?"

The man lifted his head higher. "We will find a solution."

Letting out a deep breath, the dancer stood up and looked at the floor, eyes lost into the distance. "I… I need to be alone." She said before running in the other direction.

Sophia moved to follow her but the master held her back. "Let her be." He ordered.

"Please, Master, reconsider. Let me stay, let me help her. She will need me."

"Sophia, I know you care for the girl…."

"Then let me stay!" The older woman shouted suddenly before sinking back. "Sorry, I shouldn't have shouted."

The man just smiled at her. "Your commitment to her is admirable Sophia but you are letting love and concern blind you. If she is to stand any chance at repairing her soul, she needs to do it alone." He sighed then reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We will take care of her and I will be sure to send you regular reports on her condition. But you must distance yourself from this. Please."

Sophia sighed deeply. "Very well Niji."

He nodded then stood up, brushing his knees from the dust. "You are a good person Sophia. I just regret so much sadness has come to you because of us."

"Comes with the whole 'help save the world' deal." She chuckled dryly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! So a lot of people have said that sending Sophia away seemed sudden and in the moment but if this chapter didn't explain why please send me a PM and I’ll explain as best I can.
> 
> In other news I have just been working on 'Feather's flight and I realised something very, very exciting.
> 
> Apart from the battle scenes in chapters 12, 17, 19, 23, 25, 33, 34 and 35, the sequel to Turning a Feather, Feather's Flight, is finished. Yes, you read that right! The sequel is finished!
> 
> I am honestly speechless that I have been able to, more or less, finish this second story so quickly! I didn’t know I was so close! And to mark this triumphant moment, I have published on my DA page the image that will become the cover for this story (I’m Storylady35 there as well if you want to check it out)
> 
> As well as that I’m going to pick up the pace on publishing chapters for Recovery! So keep your eyes open for the next chapter!


	4. Origins

Sophia couldn't help but cry as she held her successor's hands at the outer gates of the temple. "You hold on Annamarie." Was all she managed to say before the waterworks started. "We will see each other again. Someday."

The old Peacock and a group of 5 older acolytes from the temple soon began the long walk down the mountain, taking a rocky train that only a horse could manage down. Annamarie remained at the doors with Master Niji and Master Dawa until they were out of sight before she felt the pale woman move closer. "Annamarie, I am about to start preparing for tonight's meal. Would you like to join me?"

She knew the offer was in hope of keeping her mind occupied and it sounded like a plan but the dancer shook her head. "I… I think I'll just go… sit on my own for a bit."

"Alright, the offer stands if you change your mind."

Not looking at the pair of them, she slipped past and back into the temple, wandering around the place for a while, noting that any robed man or woman she passed bowed to her. She felt a little uncomfortable, not used to being treated with such formality but eventually she found a place where no one else was around and sat down under a tree, listening to the world around her, a gentle tinkle of water, the breeze of the wind and a birds’ song.

Suddenly something soft bounced off her arm and she looked down to see a small black bag of some kind that had landed near her arm. She looked up and saw that boy again, the blue haired one who'd been sent to get her, grinning at her as his eyes darted from the bag to her.

She frowned, picked it up and threw it at him, a little too roughly and turned back to watching the sky.

Again it was thrown at her, this time bouncing off her head.

Shooting a glare at the boy, who was looking very smugly at her, she picked it up and threw it back. "Leave me alone. I don't want to play with you."

He picked it up off the floor where it had landed then kicked it off his own foot and up into the air, over his head and around his body in an impressive display before kicking it towards Annamarie. This time she caught it before it hit her and huffed, standing up and looking at the small bag. "If I play with you for a bit, will you please leave me alone?"

He nodded energetically then moved a little closer, waiting for her to act. She rolled her eyes and sighed before dropping the sack to her foot and kicking it towards him. He moved quicker than she thought he could and kicked it back, sending it into her shoulder. He gave a small chuckle of laughter then watched her, ready for the next round.

Annamarie glared at him. "Alright, one point to you." She bit her lip then tried again, this time returning his attack and swatted it away with the back of her hand. The boy returned it in a similar style and jumped as it hit his face on her response.

The peacock smirked this time. "One all."

He stuck out his tongue childishly then picked up the sack and kicked it towards her. They continued for a while, Annamarie even taking off her jacket as she played with the little boy. She noticed he never spoke but clearly could make sounds as he grunted or chuckled as they played.

"You got a name kid?" She asked between rounds as he went to get a stray shot.

The boy shrugged and returned to the match.

"So… you don't have a name?"

He smiled again and kicked the little bag towards her, watching as she returned it over and over. Their game continued even without the boy's name, ending in a very long round where neither of them were ready to drop the sack or let it hit them.

Annamarie was starting to lose focus, it was moving so fast she could barely keep up, forcing her to take a step back to give herself extra room when her foot rolled on a stone and she fell onto her backside with a grunt, pain shooting up her spine. The boy was laughing furiously at her, almost bent over double.

The teen glared angrily at him, feeling her blood boil. "What's so funny?" She snapped, standing up and storming over to him, pushing him over. "You think that's entertaining do you? Well, let's see what you think of this!" She shouted then pulled back her leg for a powerful kick him, as he lay on the ground.

He whimpered at her strike and tried to get up but she just grabbed his ponytail instead. "Oh, don't think you're getting away that easy." She chuckled darkly into his ear. "We were having such fun too."

"Annamarie!" She blinked at the call and turned to see Master Niji and a group of the students behind him, staring at her with shock and horror. Gradually her eyes focused on them before hearing a little sob and noticed she was still holding the boy by his hair.

"Wh…" She began then let him go, backing off and looking at her own hands. "N… no… I… I didn't… please tell me I… didn't." she gulped then turned and ran into the temple, heading as fast as she could up to her room, pushing past anyone who got in her way and slamming the door shut behind her.

Once inside, she more or less collapsed to the ground and hugged herself. This was it, this was her soul being split in half. Hawk Moth wasn't the problem… it was herself. She'd hurt that innocent boy who was only trying to play with her.

She hugged her knees and cried, ignoring anyone who knocked at her door and telling them to go away, glad that they all listened without question. She had no idea how long she sat there but the sky began to get dark. Unable to see in the darkness, she forced herself to get off the floor to light a lamp then sat on a pillow by the window and looked out on the path and the mountain.

As the sun finally set completely, there was a knock at the door and she sniffed. "Go away."

"It's me." Came the female voice of Dawa. "Can I come in?"

Knowing she should be polite, Annamarie walked over and unlocked the door before pulling it open. Dawa stood on the other side with a tray in her hands. "We missed you at dinner. You must be hungry."

She couldn't look at her. "No… not really."

"Well, try and eat something." The master explained, passing her the tray, most of it being fruit. "And, I thought you would like to know, the boy was unharmed. A little shaken, I will confess, but unharmed."

"I see. Thanks. And… please tell him I'm sorry."

"I'm sure he would rather hear it from you. But I will pass the message on." She nodded her head respectfully then turned to leave, Annamarie a little amazed the conversation had ended so quickly. Once the master was gone, she closed and locked the door again, looking at the food but just the sight of it made her feel sick. She left it on the table in her room and went over to the bed, lying on top and hugging a pillow, trying to sleep.

The next day she didn't even bother to leave her room, staying inside and not answering the door no matter how often someone knocked. Four whole days she didn't leave her room or speak to anyone, deciding to isolate herself instead of risk hurting someone else.

As she looked down from her window on the students playing below, someone else knocked on the door. "Go away." She said sharply.

"Annamarie, open this door."

She winced at the master's powerful voice and slowly moved to obey, unlocking it and looked at the man on the other side. He stared at her then nodded over his shoulder. "Follow me, I have something I wish to show you."

Knowing she didn't really have much of a choice, she slipped on a pair of shoes and followed the man in silence, watching as he led her down into the library below and through the labyrinth of books, until they came to a small room with a single table on it where four books were laid out, each of them bound in red leather.

Annamarie looked around the room and frowned. "What is this?"

"This is the place of beginnings." Niji explained cryptically, walking over to the table with the books. As she got closer, Annamarie noticed there was a gap, about the size of one of the books between the second and third from the edge.

"One's missing?" She asked as she looked over the remaining books. They all looked the same at first glance with the same pattern on the cover but as she looked closer she began to spot differences, a curl instead of a line or three dot where another only had one.

Niji sighed. "Yes. Many years ago, someone managed to steal one of the books. The book of powers. We hope to find it again someday and return it to its rightful place. But for now, I want you to look at this one." He touched the cover of a book.

Annamarie looked at him questioningly as she walked over and opened the book to the first page.

Before her were beautiful, yet simple painted images of the sun, moon and earth as well as some strange writing around the outside of the pictures. She stared at it but then shook her head. "I… I can't read this."

"I wouldn't expect you to. It is the language of the kwamis and very few humans can read it. But the images should tell you the story."

She turned the page and there were people on this one, swords and sticks and weapons in hand, fighting against each other while animals joined in around their feet, snarling at each other.

Niji nodded as she continued to turn over the pages. "Thousands of years ago, the world was at war. There was an imbalance of good and evil and a darkness known as Shenfa gripped every soul alive, his anger and hatred polluting every human and beast, making them despise each other, attacking anyone they came across, even their own family. High above, the forms of the moon and sun, the embodiment of balance, decided they needed to do something to stop this or the world would be destroyed. So, between them, they created and cast down seven stones to the planet."

Annamarie turned the page and saw the moon and sun with some kind of light bonding between them, creating seven stones, as Niji had said. The next page saw seven meteorites coming to earth and landing near a mountain and shadows stood around them.

On the next page, the shadows had taken shape.

"The stones called out to those who still had goodness inside them and summoned them. Seven animals came; a fox, a bee, a turtle, a peacock, a butterfly, a ladybug and a cat." He smiled as she quickly turned to him, her mouth agape and her eyes wide, having guessed what the story was but he nodded and continued. "It was the ladybug who was first to gain the confidence to touch a stone, followed by the cat. Hence these two were the most powerful. But the others soon followed and each one touched a stone. As they did, they were given the power of the sun and moon's balance and transformed into the kwami and the stones became the miraculous."

She turned the page and saw the seven little kwami along with each of them holding a simple colourful stone, nothing like the miraculous she knew now. She couldn't help but stare at the cat and bug kwami and wondered if they still looked like the image. After all, Froufrou looked the same in the pictures as he did now.

Walking around the table, Niji continued to explain. "With their new power and their new purpose, the seven kwami went off into the world and picked a champion each from the humans, those who had skills that matched their own."

"Like confidence for the peacock?"

"Yes. The miraculous stones protected them from Shenfa's power and together these champions were able to seal away the imbalance and return harmony to the world."

She turned page after page, watching each Kwami find someone to help and transform, watching the first seven fight against an undefined shape, almost a man in the centre but with a fire consuming its whole body, two pure red eyes glaring out. It was a hard dramatic image to look at and on the second page, she watched as they finally pushed the shadow into what looked like a crystal.

“Once their work was done, and the world was on the right path once more, the seven created this temple as a place to house their knowledge and to give thanks to the sun and moon who had blessed them."

To match his description, the book showed the people building the very temple she was now sitting in and had a massive festival with everyone enjoying themselves. However, the next page was different, she could see the sun and the moon and two new shapes, that looked rather like kwami, standing before the seven original ones and their chosen.

Niji nodded as she stared at the page. "The moon and sun were so pleased with their work that they decided to come down from the heavens and watch over the seal of Shenfa, their power keeping his under control so the seven could travel the world and ensure peace was maintained. They have continued to do so ever since."

"So… the sun and moon…" She questioned, voice a whisper as she looked at the red and white shapes before her. "They are…"

"Here. Yes." Niji explained, looking at the picture from the other side of the table. "Many of the acolytes train here in hopes of proving themselves worthy of seeing them, to learn from them. But only a true pure hearted chosen can see the sun and moon kwami. In the thousands of years this temple has stood, only five have ever proven themselves worthy to see them."

Annamarie stared at the page. "But… what has this to do with me?"

"The sun and moon have unlimited power; they have power over all life and creation." He turned his attention to her. "I believe, if you can find them, they can cure you."

Standing up sharply, Annamarie's mouth dropped open. "How? Where are they?"

"I do not know."

"Then… the five who do know…"

"Died many years ago." He finished for her. "I'm sorry Annamarie but no one alive knows how to find the kwami of the sun or moon."

She stuffed her hands into her trouser pockets and sighed. "Great… so… we find a cure and it's a dead end. I mean, 'a true pure hearted chosen'? How am I going to prove myself pure hearted when I have…" She stopped and just waved a hand at herself to empathies her point.

"You may still be able to."

"What?"

"Yes, the other soul in you is dark and evil and the sun and moon would never reveal themselves to that. But your soul is split. Two completely different halves. And the half that is in control, your half… may yet be able to prove itself."

"How?"

"That depends on you. But if you want my recommendation?"

"Yes!"

He gave her half a smile. "Stop hiding in your room. Get out and do something with your time here. Come here and read, I will happily teach you the language of these books. You can work in the garden or kitchen, or the stables and fields. There is plenty to do. So find something to do with your time."

She looked down at the image on the book, concentrating on the two celestial kwami. "I guess I have been sulking."

"I understand why, Annamarie, you are scared of hurting someone." Niji said, reaching to his side. "Which is why I have this for you." She looked and saw him holding out a small wooden pendant on a string while in the middle was a pure blue stone. "This is a soul stone. When the stone is bright, like it is now, you are the soul in control. But, should it turn black, then…"

"The other me is in control." She said, taking it gratefully and letting it hang around her neck. "Thank you Master."

"You're welcome. Now, perhaps you will join us for dinner tonight? You have barely touched your food for days. You need to eat Annamarie." He placed a hand on her shoulder but she shied away. He didn't comment, just led her back out and to the dining room.

She managed to eat a few mouthfuls, more out of hunger than desire to eat, it all tasted bland to her but as the meal ended and Niji and Dawa left the room, Annamarie found herself looking for the boy she'd been playing with a few days ago. He wasn't hard to miss, not with that hair, soon finding him grinning at her and walking over, with a small tip of his head as he stood next to her.

"I…" she started. "I… wanted to say… I'm sorry for before."

His smile vanished for a moment but then returned and he nodded, beckoning her to follow him. With a defeated sigh, she did, going with him up into the higher levels of the temple and, oddly, into her room. She gave him a funny look as he jumped up and landed happily on the nest of pillows on the floor, a few feathers flying up into the air as he did. "What are you doing?" She asked, watching him wiggle around to get comfortable.

She was beginning to think she'd let a dog into her room for the way he was acting.

Once comfortable, he smiled at her and reached into his pocket, pulling out a long flat leaf and lifting it to his lips. The air soon was filled with a soft strange music as the little boy played for her while Annamarie sat across from him. She watched him and listened until her eyes began to droop, closing for a moment before she forced them open again until they didn't open and her heart rate slowed as she slept.

On seeing her asleep, the boy stopped, jumping up and running to the bed to grab the top sheet and dragged it unceremoniously across the floor, draping it over the peacock as she slept.

Then he curled up at her side, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as promised, chapter updates are going to be a lot faster now! (Part of me wants to start publishing Feather's Flight before December)
> 
> Also, I'm off to the ballet today so I thought why not publish a chapter about our poor tortured ballerina?
> 
> Anyway, enjoy and don't forget to review!


	5. Storm

Opening her eyes, Annamarie let out a stiff groan since she'd fallen asleep in a very uncomfortable position, half knelt and twisted on some pillows so her back ached. Sitting up, she pushed the blanket off her and looked around the room before spotting something blue at her side.

The kid was lying there, half tucked under the blanket, eyes closed and letting out little huffs as he slept. She wanted to frown at him but then couldn't help but smile at how cute he looked. She smiled and reached out, poking him on the forehead. "Hey, pipsqueak, wake up."

He did with a start, looking around before settling his eyes on her with his now common smile, even as he rubbed his eyes free of sleep.

Annamarie shook her head and pulled at her own hair, which was a mess since she'd slept with it done up. "Look." She said to him. "I don't know if you know this but Master Niji told me no one else is allowed to sleep in here. So anyone finds out, you're going to be in trouble."

Tipped head to the side, he chuckled lightly before getting up and running across the room, picking up a hairbrush and returning it to her, holding it across his hands like a gift.

The teen stared at him, ignoring his action. "I don't want you to get in trouble, that's all."

He nodded and passed her the brush, kneeling behind her head and reaching up to her hair, slowly removing the pins that kept it in place but the dancer pulled back and turned to look at him. "Pipp, please, I don't want you to get in trouble."

The boy froze then blinked and Annamarie looked away from him with an odd blush on her face. "Well since you don't talk, I need something to call you. I'd call you pipsqueak but… Pipp for short, alright?"

Pipp quickly nodded his head over and over, smiling as wide as his face would allow. The girl frowned at him. "You're weird."

He nodded again at that one then sat still as she brushed and redid her hair. Just as she finished, there was a soft 'dong' from downstairs, signalling breakfast was ready and Annamarie looked at Pipp before sighing. "Come on, I'm going to try and join you all today."

Beaming, Pipp ran to the door, slipping on the blanket as he did but he managed to stay standing up, the other chuckling at his eagerness and followed him down, smiling as she entered the room but then paused as Pipp went to one of the other tables and she had to go to the head table with the masters.

As she sat down, Niji looked at her. "You look well today Annamarie."

"Yeah. I… I slept last night." She said honestly.

"I'm glad to hear it."

They ate breakfast silently from then and when the masters left the room, Pipp came running over and ran around her like a puppy chasing his tail until she followed him outside. He led her to the courtyard where some of the other acolytes were already there, most of them with brooms or rakes as they cleaned the place up.

Pipp hurried to collect a broom and began energetically sweeping the stone path of the courtyard, collecting any leaves and dirt that had covered it. For a bit, Annamarie watched him before moving and picking up her own broom, beginning from a different side and sweeping towards his pile. "Sooner you get done, the sooner we can play." She said as he looked confused at her.

He beamed and went back to work, collecting all the dirt from the path then brushing into a larger pile the others were creating. Once done, he pulled out his little sack of beans and began kicking it back and forth between himself and his friend. Annamarie couldn't help but smile as she did, kicking and batting the toy between them.

"Oh, there you are."

She jumped at the call and ended up getting hit in the face from Pipp's badly time throw. She shot him a playful glare but he just giggled, looking over to see Master Dawa walking to them, smiling as she did. "I see you have made a friend."

"Yeah, Pipp's alright."

"Pipp?"

She blushed and looked away. "Short for Pipsqueak."

"An adorable name." The master said, ruffling Pipp's hair and earning herself a frown in doing so. "Well, perhaps, if you like, Pipp can be your companion while you are here, Annamarie."

"Companion?"

"Yes. Normally that role would be taken by your kwami but since Froufrou is still in hibernation, I see no harm in Pipp taking that place." Her dark blue eyes turned to the boy. "Would you like to be Annamarie's companion Pipp? To look after her and keep her safe?"

He nodded and jumped up and down on the spot with joy, making both woman laugh.

From that day on, Pipp stayed at Annamarie's side; allowed to eat at the master's table with her, sleep in her room and spend every second of the day at her side. The only time she got some time away from him, was when she went to the library to learn the kwami language from Master Niji. It turned out the language was easy to learn, the corresponding letter to each English character she had almost mastered in just a few days. But the way it was written made it infuriating.

The words weren't left to right as would be expected of English or French and it wasn't even top to bottom like Japanese or Chinese. It was read by alternating between the bottom letter and the top. So a word like 'kwami' was spelt horizontally as 'wmiak'.

It took time and practice but by the time she had been trying for 3 weeks, she had it relatively mastered and only had to write down really long words. Often she would sit in the library with Pipp at her side, reading book after book of the history of the miraculous. It was fascinating and she drank it in, learning all their secrets and the stories of the past owners. She couldn't wait until she returned to Paris and told the others.

A sting of homesickness stung her and her hand tightened on Pipp's hair that she had been softly petting while he lay his head on her lap.

The boy sat up slowly and looked at her with confusion but she smiled and shook her head. "I'm alright. Just… I was thinking about Chat Noir and Ladybug. I… I miss them."

He blinked then nodded, lying back on her lap. The past few weeks she had gradually gotten used to physical contact with others but so far she could only cope with it from the masters and Pipp. Anyone else and the stone around her neck would tint, just for a moment.

A 'dong' from above announced dinner and putting a pale blue ribbon on her page to mark where she was, Annamarie placed the book back on the shelf and hurried to join the others. She sat on her normal seat and smiled at the masters before digging in. Her appetite had gradually returned and improved over the last few weeks ago and she enjoyed the delightful meals that the temple served, even if she did crave for a bit of junk food.

Master Dawa had laughed when she confessed she missed chocolate and agreed the next time they went to the city, she'd have some brought back.

As they ate, Niji glanced out the windows and frowned. "There's a storm coming." He said softly before taking a mouthful of food.

Dawa nodded. "Looks like it. About time too, the air has been stifling."

The master nodded and looked over the students. "Everyone, when you are finished I want the temple hatched down. Cover the windows and lock the doors. Ensure the sheep and horses are secure."

"And if someone wouldn't mind running to the village, let them know as well."

"Anything I can do to help?" Annamarie asked as the acolytes carried on with their meal, a little more speedily than before and a few of them already began to leave the room.

"You don't…"

"I want to help."

Niji smiled at her eagerness. "Very well. Go to the other miraculous rooms and cover the windows."

"Alright. Come on Pipp." She said, finishing her meal and standing up.

Pipp nodded then stood up to follow her before stopping and going back to the table, grabbed a bunch of grapes then ran after his charge, Niji chuckling at him as he did but Annamarie was already hurrying up to the third floor. Part of her had always wondered what was behind the doors of each room and as she entered the turtle room she found it was just as beautiful as her own. Styled in green with an indoor water fountain, this one didn't have a large mirror like her own room but did have a larger desk and a fuller bookshelf. She glanced at the books as she passed them and found most of them to be modern books from around the world in various languages.

Pipp gave a very loud squeak as he tried to get the covers over the window without her and she snapped back to action, pulling the giant wooden panels over the glassless windows.

The next room was the bumblebee room, again stylish in its yellow and black design but this one had a sweeter smell in the air, caused by a row of plants blooming by the window. There was a map on the wall as well with pins in many of the countries and little notes on them. She managed to read a few and most were comments about good restaurants across the world.

Two down, five to go.

The next room was the butterfly room, one she was hesitant to go into but Pipp went in without pausing and she forced herself to follow, reminding herself that Hawk Moth might have the miraculous but that was not a reason to fear the miraculous itself. A good power in the hands of a bad person.

The room surprised her a little, while it was a pale purple and lilac in colour with dark furnishings and the images of colourful butterflies all over the place, the walls were covered in art and statues. Replicas or originals she didn't know but there were portraits, landscapes, abstract, traditional and various styles that she couldn't really recognise.

Next they went into the fox room and Annamarie couldn't help but laugh. The room was an amber and white colour and full of various sized, shaped and coloured stuffed animals, including a massive one in the shape of a fox that almost took up the whole room and could easily have been used as a bed if there hadn't been one in the room already. There was also a dormant fire pit, on one side of the room and she worried about keeping so many flammable items near open flames but she guessed since there was no fire, there was no worry.

It was beginning to get dark and there was an ominous rumble of thunder in the air as they locked the fox window down and hurried to the last two rooms. The ladybug room was a warm red and black room, slightly larger than the others and a mess of various handmade items from pots and paintings to knitted scarfs and even some blown glass. None of it was overly good but the range of items was very impressive.

The black cat room was the last before her own and if she hadn't been in such a rush she would have liked to spend more time in there; the room was full of musical instruments including a full blown piano that just melted in with the black and green designs. As it was, the storm had hit by then and it was a bit of a fight to get the covers over the window but they managed. "Come on Pipsqueak!" She shouted, running out and closing the door, heading to her own room. The water was already making a little puddle inside but luckily the storm had hit from the other side of the building so it wasn't so bad and they covered the window, casting the room into darkness and blocking out the worst of the weather.

"Pipp?" Annamarie called in the dark, unable to see where she was going. Luckily Pipp knew and got to a lamp, lighting it and holding it for her to see as they went around the room and lit the rest, making the room glow warmly. Annamarie sighed as she looked around. "Well, guess we should turn in for the night."

Pipp nodded and yawned, going over to her bed and curling up on top of the covers then grabbed a pillow and curled up.

His companion laughed at him as she went over and ran a hand back in his hair. "You're like a cat when you do that, you know that right?"

He gave a little 'meow' and smiled as she sat beside him and began undoing her hair. As he watched her, he de-curled himself and sat behind her, reaching up to help then took a brush and softly combed it. Over the weeks, she had learnt he liked to play with her hair and one morning she woke up to find it had been platted behind her head. Not really her style but she'd kept it in for the day to make him happy.

When he was finished she went behind the screen and changed into her night dress then slipped into bed beside her companion. "Night Pipp."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Update on recovery! YA! So in this chapters we got to see what was inside the other miraculous rooms! It was really hard to work out what 'theme' the rooms would have but I think it works out.


	6. Hurt

The wind, rain and thunder all hounded against the temple and with nothing around to protect the building from nature's fury, it took the whole force. Almost no one was able to sleep with the gale force wind, pounding rain and roars of thunder meant only the dead were sleeping that night and yet everyone stayed in their rooms.

Up in the temple's higher levels, Pipp was sleeping like a log, curled up on top of the covers but Annamarie was looking up at the ceiling with a pained expression.

Every clap of thunder was making her heart jump but she had no idea why. She'd never been scared of thunder, even now, she wasn't scared. But something… something wasn't right. Careful not to wake Pipp, she climbed out of bed and began to walk towards the wash room, hoping a cool drink would calm her down.

Another crash above and she felt her chest tighten, staggering around her room, one hand on the wall to guide her, the other clutched to her head.

Something was _ _very__ wrong.

She caught a glimpse of the stone around her neck and her eyes widened as she realised it was jet black, her eyes lifted to the mirror on the other side of the room but before she could focus, a crash of lightning struck outside and her world went dark.

Waking up, the first thing she noticed were the ropes around her hands in front of her and she panicked, looking around. She was in the room with the seal of the miraculous, a blanket over her and a pillow behind her to keep her comfortable, Master Niji and Dawa sat on either side of her with a worried yet relieved look on their faces. "Wh… what happened?" She asked, panic filling her as she felt her body ache.

The two instantly let out long relieved sighs, as if they had been holding their breath. "It's her." Dawa said to her husband. "Thank goodness. I was worried we'd lost you for a moment."

Niji nodded as he reached out and untied her bonds. "I apologise for the restraints, Annamarie… and any pain you are in. It was sadly necessary."

"What do you mean? What happened? The last thing I remember… I was in my room… and then… I'm here."

The master sighed and looked away. "Yes well… last night you… you were found trying to..." He stopped talking and looked to his wife.

Dawa nodded in understanding then turned to the girl. "Last night, you were found trying to harm one of the students here. We had no choice but to restrain you or you would have continued."

"No." She gasped, hands to her mouth. "No, I… I can't have… I don't remember. How?" She paused then swallowed, asking the question she dreaded to know the answer to. "Who?"

The two masters were silent, looking at each other before at her. "Pipp."

Part of her had already known but to hear it was like a dagger in her heart and she swallowed hard. "Is… is he alright?"

"He will live." Dawa explained with a nod. "But he won't be leaving the infirmary for a while."

Her face went pale and her hands felt cold as she looked at them, searching for answers. "I… I hurt him that much?" She whimpered.

Dawa shook her head. "No, dear child. You did not. It was Feathers. We saw her, she somehow took over you and… she attacked him. It was _not_ you, Annamarie. We saw her, we spoke to her, begged her to let you go but…."

"But I still hurt him!" She sobbed. "It was my hands that hurt him! It was me! He trusted me, he… he stayed by my side even when I've hurt him before. And now I've put him in the infirmary! I'm too dangerous to be around."

"No dear child, you are not dangerous." Dawa whispered as gently as she could, reaching out for her shoulder but Annamarie pulled away. "It was not you."

"I don't even know how it happened. I wasn't… angry or… emotional… I just… the thunder outside."

"The storm may have been the trigger." Niji began but then was given a sharp glare from his wife and gulped. "But we can work on why later."

"Annamarie, sweet girl, Pipp with be alright."

She sniffed and wiped her eyes, looking up from her hands. "Can… can I see him? Please?"

"Of course. I'm sure he will be glad to see you. Come, can you stand?"

She nodded and they stood, walking out of the room and back to the main temple, up to the second floor, around the relaxing meditation area to a door that opened to a bright room with five beds in it. Only one was occupied, the young blue haired boy sitting up it, awake and alert.

Annamarie felt tears in her eyes as she saw his face, bruised and beaten, one eye shut from the swelling, his head bandaged and his right arm was in a sling. She let out a small sob and took a step back. "I…"

Dawa stopped her from retreating and pushed her slightly forwards. "Go talk to him." She insisted, pushing her again.

Slowly, Annamarie walked over and stood at the foot of his bed, her body trembling as she looked at him while he gave her a goofy grin; as if nothing was wrong and nothing had happened. Her tears flowed at his bravery. "Pipp… I'm so sorry."

He stared at her for a moment then gave her a thumbs up with his good hand before pointing to the chair beside him. She carefully sat down and tried to keep away but he just moved towards her and grabbed her hand, still smiling as he held it tight.

That was the final straw and she held his hand to her forehead as she cried for a few minutes, whispering how sorry she was. Once it was out of her system, she gradually stopped and looked at the boy as he sat there, smiling and she couldn't help but smile back. Niji and Dawa stood on the other side of the bed and watched the two for a moment. "Annamarie, I think we need to discuss what happened last night."

"I told you, I don't remember anything."

"We were there, we can tell you if you want to know."

She thought about it then nodded.

The two masters sat on the other bed and Annamarie didn't miss that Dawa took hold of her husband's hand, as if to comfort him. Niji took a deep breath and nodded. "We were alerted to something going on when there was a loud crash from your room; from the looks of it, Feathers took control in your room and decided to break the mirror there. This woke Pipp who tried to run away but she went after him. He got all the way to the courtyard but she caught up and attacked him. By then myself and Dawa were awake and we found her…" He stopped, not going into detail. "Anyway, I managed to get her off him and while Dawa saw to Pipp, I demanded to know what she wanted."

"What did she tell you?" The teen asked, surprised by how steady her voice was even when she felt like a bag of nerves.

"She… she wants you." Dawa said softly, squeezing the man's hand tighter until her pale skin turned even whiter. "She… she wants to destroy you and take over the body."

"Can she do that?"

"If last night is any indication, yes." Niji sighed. "I believe she went after Pipp because he is close to you."

Annamarie nodded. "That was something Hawk Moth threatened me with; that he would make me… he would make me kill everyone I love and care about. It was the threat… that made me stop fighting his control."

"That explains it. That threat was the moment your soul split and Feathers was formed. If that threat was the moment you stopped fighting Hawk Moth… then most likely fulfilling it will make you surrendered to Feathers… at least, that's what she thinks." Niji pondered with a long exhale. "But after that she began to attack me." He gave a small, smirk of a smile. "She's good, I will admit but not to my level. I was able to restrain her but before I could ask any more questions, you passed out."

Dawa nodded at his side. "We kept you bound because we weren't sure when you woke up who would be in control."

Annamarie lowered her head. "Do… you think this will happen again?"

"Possibly. I am sure that if you get angry then she will take control but to take control without those emotions… I think is just a build-up of her power."

"You think?"

"You are unique, Annamarie. Your condition is one of a kind and I am learning from trial and error with you." The master confessed. "But I have a theory; if, as I believe, Feathers took control of you last night due to a build-up of her strength, then we need to tap into the strength and drain it from her. Think of it as a cup of water, slowly being filled, one drop at a time. If no action is taken then it will overflow and Feathers takes over. We need to get rid of the water and keep the cup empty. At least until we can destroy it."

Dawa frowned at him. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

"By teaching her how to fight." He said, eyes on the dancer. "I believe that if you can draw on Feathers' strength and anger and channel it into structured combat, then you will control her, and not the other way around."

Annamarie blinked as she thought about it. "I… guess that makes sense."

"If you are willing to try, I am willing to train you."

Her eyes lowered slightly, thinking about it before glancing at Pipp who was looking at her with one eye wide. Mind made up, she turned her attention to Niji. "When can we begin?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Feathers is still alive and she can take over Annamarie's body. But lets hope Niji can help her recover.


	7. Routine

#  Chapter 7 Routine

It didn't take long before a routine developed for the Peacock chosen; she'd wake up, get washed and changed and head down for breakfast. She'd then do some chores around the temple, varying from day to day depending on what was needed, from helping in the kitchen to cleaning the stables or sweeping the courtyard. Then she'd head down to the library to read before lunch. Once eaten, she'd go to the infirmary and sit with Pipp for a while, reading to him from a book she borrowed from the Turtle's room.

Then, just as the day began to cool, she'd change into a robe Niji insisted she wore to train in and meet him out back, away from everyone else and they would spar hand to hand. He did not go easy on her, getting her to attack him over and over, learning from her own mistakes and correct them herself instead of drill routines.

They would keep at it for a few hours, barely stopping until dinner and then they would bow and go to eat. Annamarie was gradually getting used to the aches and pains from her fights and she felt good to be doing something active again, keeping her body up to prima ballerina condition.

It was only two weeks before Pipp was allowed out of the infirmary, his arm still in a sling and sporting a bright blue headband that Annamarie was sure was more ‘fashion’ than ‘medical’ but he returned to following her around like a lost puppy. She was glad he was still at her side but feared what would happened if she lost control again.

Pipp didn't appear to care but it was always plaguing her mind.

His good health didn't change her routine, they just sat outside instead of in the infirmary to read now.

While in training, she'd sometimes have moments where she'd black out and open her eyes to find Niji pinning her to the ground with a concerned look on his face before he told her that she had to use the anger and not let it use her.

It went on for weeks, months even and Annamarie gradually felt herself getting a little better with each passing day. Her black outs were getting fewer and her skill against master Niji was improving, able to last much longer against him before she lost the fight. One day, as she prepared for their sparing match, she heard him shout out her name and looked up just in time to see something thrown at her.

On instinct she caught it and looked at her hands. "A fan?" She asked, opening it quickly.

"It is your weapon, is it not?"

"Yes but… that's when I'm Peacock."

"Whatever skills you have as a civilian are multiplied greatly when a miraculous is used." He explained, stepping over and holding the fan with her. "So, improve as Annamarie and you will improve as Peacock. Now…" he stepped back and walked over to the side of the space they used, pulling out a short metal sword. "Let's see what you can do."

"You're joking right?" She yelped on seeing the blade. "You're going to use a sword?"

"I am a master swordsman, Annamarie, you need not fear me. I only want you to defend yourself against my attacks for today."

She felt her heart race, never expecting armed combat. But she swallowed her fear and nodded, holding the fan and taking a defensive stand, watching as the sword suddenly came towards her. Somehow she opened the fan and used the wide edge to push it away from herself, blocking the attack.

Stepping back, she looked at the fan in amazement.

Niji smiled as he stepped away. "Did I forget to say, it works in reverse too. Your Peacock skills can melt into your civilian side. Now, again."

With a familiar weapon in hand, training continued before they turned in for dinner and the end of the day. As they finished the meal and were about to turn in for the night, Master Dawa reached out and touched her shoulder with an abnormally proud smile on her lips. "Annamarie, I have something for you."

"Oh? What is it?"

She grinned and lifted a small white envelope towards her. "Here."

"A… letter?"

"I have connections with someone in Paris." Dawa explained, still grinning. "He managed to tell Chat Noir and Ladybug that he could get a message to you. This is their reply."

Peacock's mouth dropped as she looked down at the letter then quickly ripped it open. It was typed, clearly to prevent handwriting being recognised but she still felt the warmth of her teammates in the words as she stood in the dining room and read it.

"Dear Peacock,

I can't believe we've been given a chance to talk to you! This old man came up to us on a roof a few nights ago and told us he could get a letter to you! We thought it was some kind of trick at first but we jumped at the chance. Honestly this is the ninth or tenth attempt to compose a letter from us both, I cannot believe how hard it would be. Chat keeps marking my drafts with a red pen, crossing things out. Apparently a joke between you two? He won't tell me why.

Anyway, it's almost winter here in Paris and everything is getting so much colder. Chat keeps joking about me sharing his cloak if I get too cold but you should have seen him a few days ago; it was the first frost of the year and he slipped on this puddle and landed flat on his back, legs in the air. I couldn't stop laughing at it! I wish I'd taken a photo to show you."

Annamarie also laughed, even more at some writing in green and italic saying _'My lady can be so cruel'_ as Chat clearly put his comments down.

"Sad to say the Akumas are still coming and they are getting serious. The last one we fought was this builder with this massive hammer! He didn't care if people got hurt but luckily we discovered that Chat's sword, which he has named 'Cat Scratch' for some reason…”

 _'All good swords need a name.'_ was inserted in green.

"… can channel cataclysm. It still has the whole 'five-minutes-time-out' afterwards but it's powerful. If he can get his sword to something, even if he's not in contact then he can destroy it. We only found out by accident but I'm glad we did, saved quite a few people. That's not to say my new shield isn't handy too; I can throw it or set it down and use it to protect civilians while I'm elsewhere. And if I keep it myself, I can attack and defend at the same time. Took a bit of getting used to.

"I wish you could have been here when we first showed everyone our new forms, the press went mad! That Ladyblog girl Alya, she almost fainted. I guess they like them."

In green was _'Whats not to like? We looked amazing. And everyone loves a caped hero.'_

"And I hope you don't mind but we told the press about you. Everyone was asking us where you where and what had happened so we told them you have been akumatised while protecting us and had left Paris to recover. We asked they respect your privacy as this was a very difficult thing for you and they seem to be okay with that. A group of school children even presented us with a card wishing you a speedy recovery."

Chat then added; _'It was so cute, can't wait to show it to you but they didn't do your hair justice Pea. Have to admit, it's a difficult style to draw for a 10 year old.'_

"Paris isn't the same without you here Peacock but we know you're still hurt. We want you to come home but we don't want you to come home before you're ready."

 _'We will keep the bad guys warm for you. Plenty to go around, I promise. Never a dull moment in Paris.'_ Chat joked.

"And know that we think about you every day and night, on patrol or in battle, you are always with us."

_'Even miss your lame bird jokes.'_

**_'Says the guy with the lamer cat puns'_** was added in red, as a last minute edition from Ladybug.

"We know you probably won't be able to reply but if you can, we hope to hear from you. If you can't, then know we love you and await your return. Chat wants to say something now, I dread typing it up later."

The font switched to a different style suddenly, something a lot more fluent and curly.

"Hey Peacock, your favourite kitty cat here. I don't know what more I can say that My Lady hasn't already said. She's still rolling her eyes at my jokes but I know I'm wearing her down."

 _'In your dreams cat.'_ Ladybug added in red.

"I know Ladybug's already said it but we do miss you Peacock. Like having my tail cut off or my ear's nicked. You're part of us Peacock, part of our system, our style, our routine and without you here, it still works but it's not the same. Ladybug and I used to be a duo and then you joined us and we became a trio and now a duo just doesn't work anymore. Still, as Ladybug said, we miss you and want you to come home only when you're ready and she's right, we do love you… like a sister. Sorry had to define that but I'm taken in the other type of love."

 _'Oh brother.'_ Inserted the other hero.

"Come home when you are ready and know we have a massive hug and some grapes waiting for you. Room temperature of course. Until then, keep being purr-fect and get well soon.

Your favourite and only cat partner in a leather suit.

Chat Noir."

The font then reverted back.

"I hate that cat sometimes. Dam it! He even made me write a pun! But as he said, get well soon and come home. We miss you. Ladybug."

In the small gap at the bottom of the page were their pictogram signatures, the only real ink on the letter.

Annamarie stared at it all with a happy smile on her lips. She could almost hear them in her mind as she read the letter and hear their banter as they went back and forth over what to say. Letting out a sigh, her eyes moved to Dawa and nodded, wiping happy tears from her eyes. "Thank you. I… I needed this."

"I'm glad. Do you want to reply? I can get a letter back to them."

She shook her head. "No, thank you but I'd rather not. I don't even know what I'd say to them."

"Alright. If you change your mind, let me know."

"Thank you Master Dawa. Pipp, come on, it's getting late. Goodnight Dawa."

"Goodnight my dear."

# 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aWWWW that letter! Why does it always make want to tear up! I love it so much!
> 
> Anyway, hope you like the chapter and enjoy the story! Remember to see leave your reviews! See you next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8 Secrets

Annamarie sighed as she searched the mountainside for any sign of the missing sheep, the creatures having escaped earlier when someone didn't close the gate correctly. Now most of the acolytes were out trying to recover them, Annamarie having joined them to try and help. "Come on Pipp." She called back as he trudged along behind her, hands in the folds of his robes. "We need to find these sheep before dark."

The boy pouted at her but it only made her giggle. "Now come on, we can catch up on the story later. Stop being such a baby."

Pipp stuck his tongue out but continued to climb higher, the rock face growing slightly steeper as they continued upwards, careful of the patches of snow around her. It was full winter now and the temple was getting colder by the day, metal bowls filled with log fires were all over the place to keep everyone warm but even then it wasn't the icy frozen wasteland she'd expected. In fact, winter in Tibet wasn't much worse than winter in England, not that it was anything to brag about.

As Annamarie and Pipp continued up on their search for the missing sheep, the teenager began to wonder about those back in Paris, her mom and friends and what they were doing as they probably started to get ready for the holidays. Somehow, in her heart she knew Marinette would have insisted that Estella came over to spend Christmas with the Dupain-Chengs so she didn't have to be alone.

She smiled at the idea, even if she did wish she could be there, but a few days ago she'd blacked out while training with Niji, only for a few seconds but enough to let her know she wasn't safe to head back to France any time soon. She had considered writing cards to them but how could she get them to them without them finding out where she was.

In her wondering, Pipp managed to get ahead of her as they continued up the mountain path before Annamarie suddenly blinked out of her trance when something crumbled loudly and she looked to see some rocks breaking away under the boy's feet. "Pipp! Don't move!"

He froze instantly and turned his head to look at her but her eyes were on the thin level of dirt and grass that was keeping him in place. Careful of her own footing, she moved towards him, extending her arm for him. "Take my hand. Come on. Slowly. Come on… slowly…"

He nodded and took hold of her, edging his way back gradually until they hit solid ground and hugged her tight, something she returned just as much and brushed his hair back. "That was close." She exhaled, stepping away from him and looking around them. "Right, that way looks relatively safe but it's starting to get dark, we should think about AHH!" She screamed, letting go of Pipp and pushing him back as the ground gave way under her feet and she dropped down, carried away by a landslide.

She tried to grab hold of anything to stop her fall but everything she touched crumbled and she felt a rock bounce off her head, leaving a painful dent in its wake as she was covered in dirt and soil.

It was only a few seconds but the rocks fell still and she managed to push her way out of the ground, coughing as she did and assessed the damage. Her head was clearly bleeding and her right knee gave very painful throbs as she dragged herself from the dirt, which in turn alerted her to a damaged wrist. Unable to move, she lay on her back and looked around; surrounded on all sides by sheer rock, dirt still tumbling down the one side as residue from her slide. She couldn't see Pipp, a sign of how far she'd fallen and there was no way she was going to get herself out.

Guessing she was stuck until someone came to her rescue, she winced and forced herself to sit up, letting out a painful yelp as she did, gazing up at the sky as small white specks began to fall. "Hello!" She shouted. "Anyone hear me! Hello!"

(LINE)

Master Dawa smiled as the students gradually returned with all of the missing sheep, nodding to them. "So glad they are all safe." She said in thanks. "And let's hope this doesn't happen again, hey?" Her comment was directed to one of the acolytes who blushed with embarrassment and quickly went to sweep the floor behind her.

The master chuckled playfully before spotting a blue haired boy running down the path towards her before grabbing her arm and pulling her. "Pipp? Wha… what's wrong? What's happened?" She looked up at the path. "Where… where's Annamarie?"

He pointed to the mountain with panic in his eyes.

Dawa swallowed as she looked. "Oh no." She whispered before turning and running into the temple, searching for her husband as he studied in the library. "Niji! Niji, Annamarie is lost on the mountain!"

"What?!"

"Her companion came back alone! I think something's happened."

Steel faced, Niji stood. "We have to find her. Gather any one old enough to search the mountain and have lamps prepared. The snow is falling and we have to hurry before it gets too dark. You stay here in case she finds her own way back and have every lamp in the temple lit to work as a beacon to the search party."

"Yes dear." She stepped over and held his face lovingly. "As long as you are careful out there."

"I will, I promise. Now hurry!"

Soon, ten of the acolytes and their master were wrapped up in warm clothes with oil lamps in hand, heading into the mountain and calling out the name of the lost girl. The snow fall had been joined by a sharp wind creating a blizzard that blinded them all but they pressed on, soon the only light being those of their lamps.

Niji continued to search but when an acolyte slipped on the snow and was left screaming in pain, he ordered them all back and went on alone, calling out over the wind, searching but there was no sign.

He was getting desperate.

(LINE)

Annamarie took a deep painful breath as she wiped her face free from snow, the flakes hanging to her eye lashes and brows and every strand of hair, her lower body already covered with the icy powder. She'd tried to keep herself free of it but her body was more beaten from the fall than she expected. Her face was beginning to feel numb and she was fighting the desire to black out. Not from Feathers but from concussion.

She shivered and rubbed her chest with her good arm, fighting the urge to pass out, her eyes feeling like lead as they slowly drifted closed.

"Annamarie!"

Hearing the voice gave her the strength to open her eyes a little but everything was suddenly so bright that it hurt to look. Still she heard someone speaking to her.

"It's alright. I've got you. Let's get you back to the temple."

Something warm wrapped around her and she felt herself being lifted up, her whole body feeling lighter at the touch. It was surreal how she felt like she was levitating in the air, eyes drifting closed while that bright light shone through her eye lids.

When she opened her eyes again, she was inside and warm while her body ached. "Oww." She whimpered as she tried to sit up but her arm and head wouldn't go with the movement.

Blonde hair filled her view as Dawa appeared like magic and smiled down on her. "Try not to move." She explained, brushing something damp against her forehead. "You've been unconscious for a few hours."

The teen closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened. "There… there was this… bright light… and…"

"Hush now. Don't try and talk." The other said, still mopping her brow. "You were caught in the storm, it's brought on a fever. Just be glad Niji found you when he did or it could have been a lot worse."

She groaned lowly in agreement, head pounding and feeling a chill run over her, trying to move her arm to hold her forehead before stopping at the pain. "Oww."

"Your wrist is sprained and your knee is badly swollen but it's not too bad. A few days bed rest and you'll be alright. It's your head that we're worried about, it's a serious cut. Should heal but I want to keep an eye on it."

"How… did you find me?"

"Niji followed the rock slide."

"That… was a sheer drop." She wheezed. "I… I was surrounded."

"No, it wasn't, there was a path behind you. The cold and head wound must have made you hallucinate." The woman sighed, running the cloth over her forehead again. "Besides, it doesn't matter how we found you. Only that we did." She leant back and smiled. "Now, since you're awake, would you like to see Pipp? I know he's waiting outside to see you."

With a small nod, the teen watched as the pale woman glided towards the door and opened it. "Pipp! Pipp, Annamarie's awake. You can see her… Don't run! You'll slip and… well don't say I didn’t warn you. Now get up and come on."

Annamarie chuckled as her little friend came in, snow in his hair and red faced, rubbing his elbow with that cute pout of his but as soon as he saw her, it vanished and he ran over, grabbing her for a hug. She winced and pushed him away with her good arm. "Oww, careful Pipp. I feel like I've been run over by a herd of sheep."

He smiled at her while Dawa nodded from the foot of her bed. "I will give you some room to talk. Don't be too long, she needs to rest."

Pipp nodded and turned back to her as she smiled and reached out with her good hand to brush the snow from his head. "Made it down the mountain alright alone I see?"

He nodded, nuzzling into her hand.

"You know, once I'm able to get up again, what do you say to you and me making a snowman hey?"

Nodding energetically at the idea, Annamarie laughed before looking over to the door to the infirmary as Dawa left and she turned to Pipp. "Pipp, I'm beginning to think that Dawa and Niji are keeping something from us."

The boy's eyes went wide but Annamarie decided to drop it. She knew whatever it was wasn't bad. But it made her curiosity peak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, our girl just can't get a break sometimes! At least she's alright now. But who else is rocking out over the new season? I AM LOVING IT!
> 
> Let me know what you think! See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9 Match

Eyes locked on each other, unbroken apart from steady blinks, the two slowly walked around each other, every step Niji took, Annamarie took, ready for his strike. His hand was on the hilt of his sword, held to his side but he had yet to draw while she held her fan closed in her hand.

She watched him, waiting for the moment.

His lip flickered and he drew, already moving towards her, sword going for her heart.

Ready for it, she side stepped, lifted her fan and engaged the blade, pushing it away from herself, Niji's own strength carrying on, only the target moved.

He redirected the target, swinging at her from the left but Annamarie ducked down and let it go over her head, opening her fan in the process and swinging for his middle, making him jump away to avoid the strike.

Niji didn't hesitate in bringing his blade back down, aiming for her shoulder this time but the open fan came up and stopped it before it came too close, the teen pushing back on his blow before spinning on the spot sharply so her back was to him and brought back her elbow to his chest, knocking him away slightly but she continued her manoeuvre, bringing herself fully around and lifting her fan up until it came under his chin, pressing the wood against his neck.

The master froze, chin lifted high to avoid contact, his sword helplessly at his side, his eyes locked on Annamarie's as she stared at him in amazement before stepping back and collapsing the fan. "Did… did you just let me win?" She asked timidly.

He smiled. "I never _ _let__ anyone win, Annamarie. If you beat me, it is because you have earned it."

"But… you were going easy on me… right?"

"Perhaps. We will see." He returned to the starting position. "Let's see you do it again."

She nodded and resumed but this time she began the attack.

Spring was around them now and Annamarie was getting a little anxious. She'd been at the temple for five months, all of the winter passing in that time, seeing the New Year in at the Miraculous Temple. It had been an amazing experience, one she'd never forget; watching the temple be cleaned of every drop of snow and decorations themed around each kwami put up. They invited the people of the village up to them and had a massive feast that made the meals at the temple seem like scraps in comparison.

She could still remember Master Dawa coming to her room the night before the festival with two other young girls, carrying a large box that turned out to hold a robe, similar to Dawa's normal wear but far more formal.

As was expected now, it was themed around the peacock, with a turquoise green base and green trim, topped with a dark blue sash with golden eyes on her shoulders. Her hair had been styled so it hung down and a tiara like head dress had been fixed into place.

She had been so embarrassed by the whole set up, even more when she stood beside Niji and Dawa who were dressed just as formally. Everyone, even Pipp, was dressed like it was a royal ball. They sang songs in another language that Annamarie had never heard before and gave offerings to the temple, dancing and drinking all night until nearly dawn.

It had been a wonderful night but the next morning, Niji had decided to increase her training, pushing her further, getting her to attack and fight back. That was four weeks ago and now he nodded as they finished a round and turned away from her. "That's enough for today."

She bowed her head and left the ring, rolling her shoulders as she did and went to find Dawa in the kitchens. "Evening master Dawa."

"Evening Annamarie. How did your training go?"

Washing her hands in a bowl, she shrugged casually. "Alright, I guess. What are you making?"

"I was going to make some dumplings."

"Great! I love those!"

"But I'm out of spring cardamom." She sighed. "I'll go to the village tomorrow and get some."

Quickly looking outside, the teen shrugged. "It's still light. I can make it down and back again for you."

The woman turned to look at her with a frown. "Are you sure?"

"I'll take Pipp. He knows the mountain well as anyone. Please master, I won't be long."

Dawa laughed then nodded. "Very well. But be quick."

"I will!" She promised, hurrying out of the kitchen, running to find her companion and then heading out of the temple, down the precarious path to the village but after going up and down it for so many months, it wasn't so precarious.

While she went to speak to the herbalist and get the item she needed, Pipp spent the time playing by the fountain in the middle of the village, throwing stones into the water. She chuckled at him then turned away, buying some cardamom and leaving, intending to head back up to the temple.

"Pipp! Time to go." She called on leaving the hut before dropping the bag she'd been holding.

Pipp was by the fountain, as she'd left him, but he wasn't alone. Stood before him was a masked man in a formal suit with a butterfly design on the lapels. He smirked coldly at the girl. "Hello Feathers."

Heart pounding, the teen somehow stood her ground. "How did you find me?"

"It was easy enough." Hawk Moth explained. "I knew you would come here eventually. I just had to wait for you to leave the temple's protection." His eyes lowered to the boy, holding him firmly by the ponytail. "Cute pet you have here."

She stepped forwards with determination. "Let him go. It's me you want."

"Yes. It is. But I promised you I would make everyone you care about suffer. And I am a man of my words." He lifted his cane high above his shoulder, ready to strike down on the boy but she sprinted across the space between them before he had chance, lifting her arm and using it to block the blow.

Her arm ached at the sharp contact and mentally she swore, sure she could feel her bone crack from holding him off but she grabbed the cane with her other hand and held tight. "Do… not touch him."

"You want to fight me again Peacock? You know you won't win."

"I will never let you hurt another soul Hawk Moth." She glared at him, pushing the cane back with all her strength. "Not now, not ever."

He glared at her with fury but then his eyes widened in amazement while Annamarie's did the same, watching as her body glowed blue, as if…

In a flash, it happened.

Annamarie was gone and there stood Royal Peacock, her suit returned, her fan in hand and her mask concealing her identity. She looked up in amazement but Hawk Moth just snarled, swinging for her head but she opened the fan and blocked it easily.

From there the two fought, blow after blow glancing off one another, Hawk Moth kicking and striking out for her but she jumped away as he did. She frowned at him as he tried to catch her side but instead closed her fan down, blocking his attack and pushing him back. "You won't defeat me Hawk Moth. I'm not the weak little child I was when we last fought. I've grown."

"But you still have me inside you, don't you Peacock." He sneered, backing away and dramatically twirling his cane. "You still have that darkness in you."

She nodded softly, placing her hand on her heart. "Yes. And I may never be rid of it. But as long as I stand, I will fight you _ _and__ it." Snapping her eyes up to him and spread out her fan once more, throwing through the air, the strike knocking his cane from his grip, startling him while she backed up her attack by sweeping her leg out under his and knocking him to the ground.

Quickly she put her foot on his chest and pinned him down, fan magically returning to her grip and she stood with it raised, ready to deliver the final blow. The man lay below her and stared up. "Go ahead. Finish me. You deserve it."

She stared at him for a bit, hand ready to do it. "You're right. I do deserve it.” she whispered then closed her fan in her hand and backed off. “But it is not my place." She let out a breath as her enemy stood up. "Your judgment will come at the hands of the masters. Not mine. But…" she said, reaching out and grabbing the brooch on his chest. "I will take this back."

Her hand closed around the purple stone and pulled it away resulting in a blinding flash of light that, when it disappeared, she looked to see who Hawk Moth was behind the mask but before her was Niji and Dawa, the two of them smiling softly at her. "Peacock."

She stared at them both. "Niji? Dawa? Wha… what just happened? Where's Hawk Moth?"

"He was never here Annamarie." Dawa explained. "The man you just saw was created by us, as a final test."

"Test?"

"To prove your heart is pure." Niji spoke calmly. "To prove you are worthy."

She blinked then felt her body glow once more, brighter than ever and she winced as something passed over her chest and released a pressure she hadn't noticed was on her heart, lifting it away. When it stopped, she looked at the masters as they stepped to the side, revealing a mirror behind them.

The reflection was her own and she looked almost the same apart from a colourful collar of feathers around her neck and stomach, just like Sophia's had been but while Sophia had a trail of feathers from her back, Annamarie had three feathers in her hair.

"T…The Change?" She said, looking at the two masters for some kind of explanation.

"Yes. And now, it is time for you to meet the Sun and Moon Kwami." Niji said with a smile and waved his hand over them all. The village suddenly dissolved, like a pebble thrown in water and she found herself stood in the room with the miraculous seal, not missing that the blue peacock styled one were glowing.

Niji and Dawa were stood before her but then, as she watched the man and woman she had known for months, slowly faded away to reveal two small familiar shapes.

Kwami.

Dawa was a pale white with a dark round crescent moon shaped mark on her forehead and little stars going up her arms while Niji was a dark burnt orange with a sun pattern on his forehead. The two of them smiled at her and bowed. "Royal Peacock." Niji said calmly, his voice more powerful than his small form would indicate. "You have proven yourself a worthy holder of the Peacock Miraculous. You have upheld and represented the ideas and qualities we would expect of you."

"What? You mean… self-esteem?"

"Yes. But do you know the second element?"

"Second?"

"Luck and Creation. Independence and Freedom. Guidance and Wisdom. Bravery and Cunning. So… what is the second element of the Peacock?"

Annamarie thought, thinking back on the pages of the books she had poured over. "Protection? But that's the role of any miraculous."

"True." Dawa said with a nod. "But you, as the peacock, take that role far more seriously than any of the others. You are the protector. When you are in or out of miraculous form, you cannot help but put yourself in danger if it means protecting others. And today, in your test, you faced your fear and engaged Hawk Moth to protect your companion."

"Pipp." She gasped, looking around for the boy. "Where… where is he?"

"He has been at your side the whole time." Niji explained, holding out his tiny paw and Peacock faded away to leave Annamarie and a small boy with long blue hair. But gone were the robes and instead he stood in a dark blue jacket with a pale blue shirt below, dark pants, all of which being trimmed with gold.

He turned on the spot, one leg confidently bent and put a hand on his hip, winking at her. "Knew you wouldn't cope without me."

Her jaw dropped as she recognised that confident yet oddly frilly voice. "Frou!"

'Pipp' nodded and slowly faded into the smaller peacock kwami. "Hey." He chuckled and winked again, flying into her neck for a hug. "It's been a while birdy."

"So… all this time…"

"A bond with your kwami can never be broken, Annamarie." The moon explained. "It is bound eternally until your death. While they may move on, find another chosen, the bond between you will remain forever."

"Why didn't you tell me it was him?"

"It was part of your recovery." Niji clarified. "To see if your bond was strong enough that you would seek him out. Even without knowing it, chosen and kwami will always search for each other, no matter the form. When you chose 'Pipp' to be your friend, it was because it was really Froufrou."

She looked down at the bird as he sat in her hands. "So… what does all this mean for me now? I mean… my split soul…"

The sun kwami shook his head once. "Is healed. Feathers is no more. She is gone. Your soul mended itself when you decided to show mercy to Hawk Moth. That in turn earned you the right for the next level of your powers." Niji said with a proud smile. "Annamarie Tolrana, Royal Peacock." He bowed forwards. "It's time for you to go home."

 

**To be Continued in Feather's Flight**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that is the end of Recovery. I hope you enjoyed it! Peacock is returning to Paris and soon I will be publishing Feather's Flight!
> 
> Don't forget to enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So this is the story that will connect Turning a Feather and Feather's Flight, my Miraculous Ladybug Stories. Hope you like it!
> 
> Next Chapter coming soon
> 
> Please reivew, its the only good kind of email I get!


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